'London Bridge City' "clamping" bikes

[thelawnet]

https://twitter.com/W_Bradley/status/11 ... 0116656129

Looks like they have been doing it for some years.

https://twitter.com/tri_liam/status/1153217797545177089
https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/2511343 ... impressed/

It appears that the area is owned by Kuwait (the county).

I suspect the latter photo is not actually ON London Bridge, as it would be a bit ridiculous if the 'London Bridge' had been sold to a foreign country.

Apparently the clamping is to 'teach people a lesson' not to leave their bike on private land:

Even if they don't know it's private...

There is a map here

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017 ... gation-map



Apparently as it's a 'private space' even though it appears to be a 'public street', they can make all kind of prohibitions.

'London Bridge City' has a total ban on cycling.

Perhaps they should put up border controls. Bit of barbed wire. Get us ready for Brexit an all that.

[brooksby]

There are a lot of places around the country which appear to be public spaces, act as if they are public spaces, but are actually privately owned so the landowner can set whatever rules they wish. Pretty sure they're supposed to put up signs, though. That was at the root of that recent news story about facial recognition too.

Have a read of https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ground-Control-Fear-happiness-twenty-first-century/dp/0241960908

[mjr]

Yes, if there's no warning, locking someone else's bike sounds like criminal damage to me... But good luck using our overpriced slow-moving law to get your bike released, especially against a friend-of-the-UK state like Kuwait.

[landsurfer]

" to a street sign" ... was this street furniture private, Council or Highways ??

[merseymouth]

Afternoon all, The "Liverpool One" Development in Liverpool City centre uses the same sort of powers, at least the did for a short period after opening! They threatened to seize my tricycle if I left it chained up outside WH Smith, this despite them not providing cycle securing facilities nearby. I say nearby because further away in the development they have an expensive bicycle storage unit? Bit like those pricey car parks, nearly cost as much to park for a day as some machines are worth.
Large portions of the site were actually public rights of way, but what the heck when he Duke of Westminster says jump, our council say "How High?"!
Brings back the old saw - "Who is the bigger thief, the man who steals the goose from the common, or the man who steals the common from the goose?"
Happens all the time in our cities, they gave Peel Holdings a large portion of the Pierhead here, even though the had no power to extinguish the many public Rights of Way! Money talks. MM

[thelawnet]

" to a street sign" ... was this street furniture private, Council or Highways ??

everything, road, buildings, street furniture, all of it, is owned by Kuwait.

[Zigster]

I used to work in the More London development and saw quite a few bikes which had a lock and a security notice attached to them.

The development is pedestrianised (obviously not an issue if walking the bike not riding it) and I remember there being lots of signs saying not to attach bikes to street furniture.

[mjr]

I used to work in the More London development and saw quite a few bikes which had a lock and a security notice attached to them.

The development is pedestrianised (obviously not an issue if walking the bike not riding it) and I remember there being lots of signs saying not to attach bikes to street furniture.

One can put up signs saying "no no no" but if no positive alternative is offered, some will keep doing it. Are you allowed to take bikes in all the shops and offices there?

According to the cycle map, there's only parking for 28 bikes there and even 20 of those might be Southwark Crown Court's not More London's, which puts it right in the "I can't believe that was granted planning permission" category.

[Pilot Pete]

Just buy a big pair of bolt cutters, cut their lock off and be on your way...

Oh, and never grace ‘their’ land with your presence and spending power again...

PP

[esuhl]

Aren't private firms banned from clamping vehicles now...?

I'd either cut the cable, or take them to court.

(Of course, I'd never intentionally park my bike on private property without consent...)

[drossall]

Large portions of the site were actually public rights of way, but what the heck when he Duke of Westminster says jump, our council say "How High?"!

Of course, a right of way is only a right of way, not a right of stopping or parking. There's some theoretical debate, for example, about whether you could stop and have a picnic on a public footpath in the countryside, because that's not walking. As far as I know it's never been put to the test (in court), and probably never will be unless someone does something outrageous (such as organising a mass picnic for half the population of the local town, without speaking to the land-owner first).

[Cunobelin]

A few years ago, there was a similar dispute , and the guy involved started up a campaign to lock things to the offending fence... they became a tourist attraction and everything from kids bikes to fridge doors became locked to the fence


The now defunct website was hilarious at the time

[wjhall]

.... There's some theoretical debate, for example, about whether you could stop and have a picnic on a public footpath in the countryside, because that's not walking. As far as I know it's never been put to the test (in court), and probably never will be ....

Never been tested, possibly because the right to stop for refreshment seems to be accepted by local authorities (1-3), and others as something within the legal right to 'pass and repass'. As you said there seem to be hints that going out for a picnic as such might not be a right, although walking up a hill eating sandwiches and then going down is presumably just refreshment.

(1) https://www.derbyshireguide.co.uk/travel/picnics.htm
(2) https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/North ... BF_1_0.pdf
(3) http://www.outdoorswest.org.uk/Home/act ... hts-of-way

[drossall]

You have misquoted that. Those are my words, not merseymouth's.

[fullupandslowingdown]

There are a lot of places around the country which appear to be public spaces, act as if they are public spaces, but are actually privately owned so the landowner can set whatever rules they wish. Pretty sure they're supposed to put up signs, though. That was at the root of that recent news story about facial recognition too.

Have a read of https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ground-Control-Fear-happiness-twenty-first-century/dp/0241960908

take a careful look down on the ground. I suspect you'll find a line of brass or stainless steel studs set in the pavements which delineate the official boundary of the private property. I recall seeing once a pair of likely fellows going along and striking each stud with a cane set around a building somewhere. Something to do with marking the terrority